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ORIGIN = CHINA
Protector of Buddhist Law
Symbol of Imperial Power
Guardian of Eastern Direction
Controller of Rain & Tempests
Guardian of the Tide Jewels
Bringer of Wealth & Fortune
Magical Shape Shifter
ASSOCIATIONS
East, Spring, Blue / Green
Wood, Water, Yang Energy
Clouds, Rain, Storms
Messenger = Turtle
Seven Eastern Lunar Mansions
Dragon, Ceiling Painting at Tenry-ji Temple , Kyoto. Rinzai Zen Sect. Tenry-ji is also a World Heritage Site.
This ceiling painting was first created in 1899, and restored in 1997. It measures about 18 meters across.
Drawn on Japanese paper attached to ceiling plates (tiles). Photo scanned from temple catalog.
Tenry translates directly as Heaven Dragon.
Click any image above to jump to that creature (takes you to another page).
In both Chinese and Japanese mythology, the dragon is one of Four Legendary
Creatures guarding the four cosmic directions (Red Bird - S, Dragon - E, Tortoise - N,
and the Tiger - W). The four, known as the Four Celestial Emblems, appear during
China's Warring States period (476 BC - 221 BC), and were frequently painted on the
walls of early Chinese and Korean tombs to ward off evil spirits. The Dragon is the
Guardian of the East, and is identified with the season spring, the color green/blue, the
element wood (sometimes also water), the virtue propriety, the Yang male energy;
supports and maintains the country (controls rain, symbol of the Emperor's power). The
Guardian of the South, the Red Bird (aka Suzaku, H-, Phoenix), is the enemy of the
dragon, as is the bird-man Karura. Actually, the Phoenix is the mythological enemy of
all Naga, a Sanskrit term covering all types of serpentine creatures, including snakes
and dragons. The Dragon (East) and Phoenix (South) both represent Yang energy, but
they are often depicted as enemies, for the Dragon represents the element wood, while
the Phoenix signifies the element fire. However, they're also often depicted together in
artwork as partners. The Dragon is the male counterpart to the female Phoenix, and
together they symbolize both conflict and wedded bliss -- the emperor (dragon) and the
empress (phoenix). For many more details, see the Phoenix page and Four Guardians of
the Compass page.
TYPES OF DRAGONS
In both Chinese and Japanese mythology, the dragon is closely associated with the
watery realm, and in artwork is often surrounded by water or clouds. In myth, there are
four dragon kings who rule over the four seas (which in the old Chinese conception
limited the habitable earth). In China, a fifth category of dragon was added to these four,
for a total of five dragon types:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
NUMBER OF CLAWS
Five, Four, Three Claws
According to most sources, the dragon of China and Japan
resemble each other, with the exception that the Japanese
dragon has only three claws, while that of the Celestial
Kingdom (China) has five.
www.khandro.net
Much has been made of these distinguishing characteristics
among Asian dragons. There is an iconographic convention
in which the common dragon has only four claws. The fiveclawed dragon, in contrast, is reserved for the Chinese
imperial family, while the colonial type (such as the
Japanese dragon) has only three claws.
Five-clawed dragon at
Kench-ji Temple (Kamakura, Japan)
See above for details.
Painted in the 1990s.
Here, Japanese dragon
iconographcy does not
abide with traditional
Chinese notions about
the number of claws.
Unry, Cloud Dragon. Ceiling Painting, Late 1990s, Kench-ji Temple, Kamakura
Painted by artist Koizumi Junsaku on 48 panels. Took about three years to create, and measures
approx. 10 meters by 12 meters in size. Photo Courtesy Kenchji Web Site.
DRAGON SYMBOLISM
DRAGON MOTIFS ON IMPERIAL ROBES
SEE STORIES BY KYOTO NATIONAL MUSEUM
earthquake she hovered in the clouds over the cave where the dread dragon had taken up
his abode. Benzaiten then descended from the clouds, entered the cavern, married the
dragon, and was thus able, through her good influence, to put an end to the slaughter of
little children. With the coming of Benzaiten there arose from the sea the famous island
of Enoshima (near Kamakura), which has remained to this day sacred to Benzaiten, the
Goddess of the Sea. <end Hadland quote> This story first appeared in the Enoshima
Engi , written in 1047 AD by Japanese Buddhist monk Kokei (977?1049). The link between Benzaiten and the dragon is not surprising, as Benzaitens
messenger is a snake, and the dragon is classified as a type of serpent (known in
Sanskrit as the Naga). This legend has variations. According to Wikiipedia: The
goddess rejected the dragon's proposal and made it understand that it (the dragon) had
been doing wrong by plaguing the villagers. Ashamed, the dragon promised to cease its
wrong-doing. It then faced south (devotedly facing the island where Benzaiten lived)
and changed into a hill. To this day, the hill is known as Dragon's Mouth Hill (Tatsu-nokuchi yama ). <end quote>
Mitsu Uroko
Hj Family Crest
SEIRYUU (Dragon)
East, Blue-Green
Spring, Wood
GROUPING ONE - CHINA, JAPAN
Chinese | Sanskrit Names
Eastern Moon Lodges
Source: Shukuy-ky
1 Kakushuku Citr
1 Bshuku (Krttika)
2 Hisshuku (Rohini)
3 Teishuku Vikh
3 Shishuku (Mrgasiras)
4 Bshuku Anurdh
4 Sanshuku (Ardra)
5 Seishuku (Punarvasu)
6 Kishuku (Pusya)
7 Kishuku Prva-Adha
7 Ryshuku (Aslesa)
DRACO LORE
More on Dragon Star Constellation. Text courtesy Khandro.net. Around 1,800 BC,
the celestial indicator (the pole star) was not the modern-day North Star (Polaris), but
rather Thuban, a star in the constellation known as Draco or Dragon. Draco is the 8th
largest of the conventional constellations curving from the "pointers" of the Dipper
(Ursa Minor) to brilliant Vega. To the observer of today, there is no bright star in the
configuration. Yet, the passages in the great pyramid at Gizeh (Egypt) once acted as
channels for the light of the star that is called Thuban. It is now known that those
pyramids were oriented to Orion and, at the time of the building of the Sphinx, to Leo.
It has been demonstrated that Angkor Wat, the great Khmer (Cambodian) Buddhist
shrine was built in alignment with this celestial formation. However, in 1,150 CE the
constellation of the Dragon was upside down over the site's medieval buildings, but
impressively, in the era of 10,500 BC, traces of the very earliest structures there
mirrored the Dragon constellation exactly.
The transition from one ruling celestial system to another is marked in the mythologies
of the world by accounts of the overthrow of Titans (Greek) or Ashuras (Indian) by
Gods or Devas. Naturally, this displacement had to be justified, and so the serpentine
heavenly Mother, Tiamat of the early Mesopotamians, is considered by devotees of the
newer deity, Marduk, as an evil draconian monster.
The flying dragon whose abode is the heavens is universally recognized as a symbol of
the Chinese culture and its people. Chinese refer to themselves as Descendents of the
Dragon.
It is believed that on rare occasions dragons have the power to transform themselves
into handsome humans who, male or female, can mate with people. For example,
former Japanese Emperor Hirohito claimed descent from Princess Fruitful Jewel,
daughter of a sea Dragon King. It is this belief that lies at the root of the dragon, which
is often used in Asia as the crest or emblem of a royal house.
HACHIDAI RYUU-OU
EIGHT GREAT DRAGON KINGS IN BUDDHIST LORE
Hachidai Ryuu-ou (Eight Great Dragon Kings) are mentioned in the Lotus Sutra
(HOKEKYOU ) and they appear sometimes in Japanese artwork. These eight
are dragon kings said to live at the bottom of the sea, apparently in reference to the eight
dragon kings, each with many followers, who assembled at Eagle Peak to hear the Lotus
Sutra as expounded by the Historical Buddha. According to the Kairyuo Sutra (Sutra of the
Dragon King of the Sea), dragons are often eaten by giant man-birds called Garudas, their
natural enemy. The Phoenix is another enemy of the dragon. Nanda Ryuuou, who is one
member of the Hachidai group, can sometimes represent the whole set, as he does in the
Hokke Mandala .
NOTE: The below text comes from the wonderful research of the Japanese
Architecture & Art Net User System (JAANUS). A visit to their online
dictionary is highly recommended. Over 8000 entries. Below text reproduced
with their permission. Thank you JAANUS. The photos presented below,
however, are not from JAANUS, but rather from my own photos and web crawling.
Dragon Mythology
Jp. = Ry, Ryu, or Ryuu ; Also written ; Chn. = Lng or Long
Mythological animal and cosmological symbol of Chinese origin. The beginnings of
dragon myths are obscure, but belief in such a creature predates written history. The
image of the reptilian dragon as known today throughout East Asia had achieved its
form by the 9th century Tang ink painting. Typically the dragon is covered with scales,
has a long serpentine body with a scalloped dorsal fin, claw-like feet and pointed tail. Its
face is distinguished by small horns, large eyes with bushy brows, flaring nostrils, long
whiskers and sharp teeth. The dragon is associated with water, and is often shown
emerging from vapor and clouds to produce rain. Living in the sky it is considered
closely related to heaven, and from early times was used as a symbol of imperial power.
In addition to serving as a deity of rain and of Heaven, the blue-green dragon (seiryuu
) is the directional symbol of the east, and thus one of the guardian animals of the four
directions (shishin ). Dragons figure importantly in popular folk beliefs and Taoism,
often serving as a vehicle for immortals. By the 9th century, the Chinese had
incorporated the dragon into Buddhist thought and iconography as a protector of the
various Buddha and the Buddhist law. For example, the character for dragon is often
found in temple names. The earliest representations of dragon-like creatures are Shang
and Zhou period (ca. 16th - 9th centuries BCE) bronzes and jades bearing abstract
animal or monster designs. By the Warring States or Han period (ca. 8th century BC to
3rd century AD), dragons were frequently painted on tomb walls to ward off evil spirits.
Beginning in the late Tang period (9th century), the dragon was painted in ink
monochrome (suibokuga ). The so-called "Nine Dragons Hand Scroll"
(Kyuuryuuzukan , 1244, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston) by Chen Rong
(Jp: Chin You, act. 1235-58) exemplifies ink painting of the subject in the Song period.
Dragon Painting
by Kano Tsunenobu (Kanou School)
16th - 17th Century; Photo courtesy of:
www.honmonji.or.jp/05topic/06info/reihoden/kanou/tokubetutenji.html
dress) with dragons or snake hoods or some other indication of identity. If multiple
heads are shown, they may indicate the identity of the ryuu. Illustrations of the Lotus
Sutra may show the Dragon Princess, who, in the Devadatta chapter, achieves
enlightenment. Famous images of ryuuou include that of Zennyo Ryuuou of
Kongoubuji , Wakayama prefecture, painted by Jouchi in 1145, and that
of Nanda Ryuuou (as a honjibutsu of the deity of Kasuga Taisha
) of Hasedera , Nara, carved by Shunkei in 1316.
Ry-, Ryou-ou
Kurikara
Text courtesy JAANUS. Also known as Kurika , a transliteration of
Sanskrit Kulika, the name of a dragon-king (see above) mentioned in Indian
legends. In this connection he is also known as Kurikara Ryuu
("Dragon Kurikara"), sometimes with the addition of ou , to read "Dragon King
Kurikara." Kurikara could also be an abbreviated transliteration of Kulika raja
("King Kulika"), or of Kulika-nagaraja ("Dragon King Kulika").
In Esoteric Buddhism he is regarded as a manifestation of Fudou
Myou-ou and is also known as Kurikara Fudou
or Kurikara Myou-ou . He assumes the form
of a flame-wreathed snake or dragon coiled around an upright
sword, with his open mouth about to swallow the tip of the
weapon, which is called the "Kurikara sword" (kurikara-ken
). According to the KURIKARA RYUU DARANIKYOU
, this manifestation of Fudou had its origins in
a contest between Fudou and a non-Buddhist heretic in the course of which
Fudou transformed himself first into a sword and then into the dragon Kurikara
and threatened to devour the sword into which the heretic had changed himself.
Alternatively the dragon and sword are sometimes said to represent the noose
and sword held by Fudou and images of Kurikara may be used as a substitute
for Fudou as for example on the lid of a lacquered sutura box from the Heian
period belonging to Taimadera (Nara Prefecture), where he is flanked by
Fudou's two attendants Kongara Douji and Seitaka Douji
. Early statuary representations are rare: that kept at Ryuukouin (Mt.
Kouya , Wakayama prefecture) inside a small shrine (zushi ) is thought
to date from the Kamakura period, although temple tradition holds that the
sword (42.2cm) was brought back to Japan by Kuukai (774-835 AD). The
largest completely wooden image (183.2cm), dating from the late Heian period
(11c-12c), is kept at Kotakeji , Ooita prefecture. The "Kurikara pattern"
(kurikara-monmon ) is also a popular motif in tattoos (irezumi
). For more on Kurikara Fudou, please see Dr. Gabi Greves sites, one and
two.
LEARN MORE
Buddhist-Artwork.com.
Dragon statues are available for purchase at our sister site.
Dragon in Taiwan
(outside site)
photos presented here, however, are not from JAANUS, but rather from my own
photos and web crawling.
Dragons in Art and on the Web (by Tim Spalding). Hundreds of links and
photos.
Myths and Legends of Japan. Author Frederick Hadland Davis. Courier Dover
Publications. 1912 (Republished 1992). ISBN 0486270459, 9780486270456
Animal Motifs in Asian Art: An Illustrated Guide to Their Meanings and Aesthetics.
Author Katherine M. Ball. Courier Dover Publications, 2004. (First published 1927)
An Encyclopedia of Myth and Legend: Chinese Mythology. Author Derek Walters. 1993.